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Most days I feel like I’m really screwing up this parenting thing. I mess up a lot more than I get right! But there’s one thing that happens around our house that I’m consistently encouraged by: when I walk into a room and find Kingston curled up with his Bible or one of his favorite Bible story books. He’s always loved reading and has a hunger to learn about anything and everything. So we’ve tried to be really intentional about finding books about the Bible that would keep his attention and soften his heart towards God. I post on Instagram stories a lot about different books we’re reading and always get questions from other Moms about our favorites. I know the overwhelming feeling of standing in Lifeway and blank-staring at all the kids books. There are SO MANY to choose from. And some of them just aren’t good! So I wanted to do a post about our favorite Bible story books for kids that will hopefully help another parent as you navigate this whole “teaching kids about God in a healthy way” journey. We’ve bought and been gifted a lot of Bible story books, but I’m only including our absolute favorites on this list. I’m confident that if they pass the Kingston test, your little people will enjoy them too! 🙂
The Jesus Storybook Bible
This was the first Bible story book that Kingston really got into when he was very little. The writing is beautiful and will make you cry as you read the words to your kiddos. (Good cry, I promise!) I love everything about this book but especially how every story focuses on and point back to Jesus. They aren’t just stories of “heroes” but of God’s faithfulness and of the Great Rescue Mission when he sent Jesus into this world. I cannot recommend this one enough and give it to new mamas a lot! Our copy is starting to fall apart, because we’ve read it so much.
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
This book is written by the same creators of the Jesus Storybook Bible and is full of simple, but profound thoughts about God’s love for his people. It pairs really well with the Jesus Storybook Bible, so you could read one book in the morning and one at night. It’s an uplifting read and one that I think helps kids realize that their identity is in Christ alone. King describes this one as “really sweet” and says it makes him emotional. 🙂
The Adventure Bible for Early Readers
I texted my friend Audrey one day and asked her what Bible we should get for Kingston. Her son is a year older, and I remembered her saying that he really loved his Bible. (Don’t you love having friends with kids at different stages?! It’s so helpful being able to ask them for advice.) She told me about the Adventure Bible because they have an NIRV version for young readers. It’s exactly what we were looking for, and King loves it! There’s nothing better than finding him around the house reading his Bible to himself! This Bible is written in a way that he can read and understand on his own – there aren’t any thees or thous. And it also includes fun facts and pictures. We gave it to King when he graduated from kindergarten, but he’s just started reading it more on his own this year.
Bible Infographics for Kids
This one is our newest purchases! It’s full of infographics that bring fun facts about the Bible to life. The last picture above is from this book. Here are a few examples of what you’ll find inside: You’d need 7,453,506 soccer balls to fill up Noah’s Ark. Paul traveled over 10,000 miles on his missionary journeys—the distance from New York City to Rio Grande at the tip of South America. There is a talking donkey in the Bible. Roughly 3-4 million left Egypt during the Exodus. Imagine the entire city of Los Angeles leaving town and wandering in the desert for 40 years! Kingston takes this book with him everywhere and is constantly reciting interesting stuff he’s learning about the Bible. But the best part is that all the facts have a reference from the Bible, so he’ll read about something in this book and then look it up in his Bible!
Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science
If you have any science lovers, this is your book! Written by Louie Giglio, Indescribable dives into the beauty of creation with scientific findings, photography, and original illustrations. It covers topics like: space (galaxies, planets, and stars), animals, people (our minds, bodies, and imaginations), weather, the oceans, etc. It’s all about how God intricately created every detail of the universe and how much he loves us. Each devotion ends with a prayer for the day and a “fun fact” that goes along with the topic.
The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories
This book is OLD! A sweet older couple who went to my parents’ church gave it to me when I was 5-years-old. (Yeah, that old.) My Mom read it to Kingston a few times when he was at her house, and he liked it so much that she sent it home with him one day. It’s well written and follows the Bible (from Old Testament to New) in 365 stories. I wasn’t sure if it was still available anywhere but found it on Amazon!!! We’re currently reading this one everyday, but we rarely stop at one story. “Just one more” usually turns into about 5 more-haha! I don’t mind though, because the stories are so detailed and interesting. This book doesn’t focus on the bigger theme of the Bible – Jesus. It just goes through the stories from the Bible from a historical angle. So if I’m being honest, it reads kind of like a soap opera-ha! Lots of drama. So it definitely holds our attention! But I really feel that it needs to be paired with something like the Jesus Storybook Bible or at least some great discussions about how Jesus and the Great Rescue Mission are really what the Bible is all about!
I hope this list is helpful for someone! If you’re a parent or Grandparent, you can’t go wrong with any of these books. They make the best gifts! And really, the most important thing is not that we’re doing everything “right” but that we’re consistently teaching the Gospel! These are tools that are helping us do just that at my house, and I hope they will be helpful to you too. And if you have a favorite, I’d love to hear about it. Most of the books above were suggestions from friends, so I’d love to know what you recommend!
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